December 18

that a rage for martyrdom prevailed; and that men gave their bodies to be burnt.

DECEMBER 18.—“And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the Apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.”—Acts 9:26—28.

We have just seen Paul at Damascus. We now see him entering Jerusalem. And observe to whom he wished to introduce himself when he arrived. Not to the high priest: he had done business enough with him before. Not to the Pharisees, though he had lived among the straitest of them. Not to the learned, though a man of letters himself, and though he had been brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, who probably was still living in the city—But “he assayed to join himself to the disciples.” They were despised and persecuted. He had himself once hated them, and endeavoured to exterminate them from the earth. But now the world is not worthy of them. He ranks them above princes and philosophers; in them is all his delight; and he deems it his highest honour to have fellowship with them. Have we the same mind in us? In the course of duty, unless we go out of the world, we must often mingle with others; but are these in our voluntary associations, our companions? Do we take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you? Do we give ourselves, not only to the Lord, but to them, to walk in holy communion, and to co-operate in holy exertion? When we pass through a place as we travel, do we feel a sentiment that leads us to think, with a peculiar concern, “Are there any here who love and serve my Lord and Saviour?”

“But the disciples were all afraid of him;” and the reason is assigned; “they believed not that he was a disciple.” They supposed that he only pretended to be so, but was really come among them as a spy or informer. They well knew what a bitter adversary he had been, and had not heard of him since the wolf had been turned into a lamb. If there seems something strange in this, let it be observed that Damascus was one hundred and fifty miles from Jerusalem; that the modes of modern communication were not then known; and that the war raging between Herod, Antipas, and Aretas, must have interrupted the intercourse between the two capitals. Neither is it unlikely that the unbelieving Jews maliciously and artfully represented him as acting the part of a deceiver.

However this was, they seem to have known nothing of his conversion till “Barnabas took him, and brought him to the Apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.” How Barnabas was acquainted with all this while they were ignorant we are not informed. Had he seen Ananias, or some other credible and personal witness of these facts? One man, from various supposable circumstances, may know things, of which others, even of the same place, are